Face Painting

After trawling the internet looking for inspiration to make something, I rummaged through my WIPs and found a little doll that I made years and years ago, one of the first. Last year I found her again and started fixing her up. She had a horrible primative face and a circle of hair tacked onto her head. So I had already ripped off her hair, turned her around and given her hair implants to cover up her old face. But then she got shuffled back to the bottom of the pile.

In a flash of motivation I decided to paint her face. It's been a long time since I've made a doll. Over a year at least. I'd forgotten how fun it is to paint up their faces and see their personality emerge. Here she is with her new face.

She's only 28cm tall, and her hair is twice as big as she is. And now she has a cheeky smile and a bit of life. Now I must get some clothes on her. And some shoes. And a name.

Trams and Buses

This afternoon we headed out to Bylands for a look at the Tram Museum. They were having an open day so entry was $2 per adult, rather than the usual $22 for a family. Coen has a great love of all modes of transportation, however he has a special place in his heart for those on rails! The first thing we did when we arrived was jump on a tram for a quick ride.

This is the tram we rode. And the tram driver John, who has been driving trams since 1954! He told us how he had driven trams during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics!

We hadn't been there very long when we spotted a familiar car pulling up! Mum and Ed had brought Nathan and Shailea for a look as well.

We had a proper tram ride on a very full tram!

Then we had a look at all the old trams.

Some of them are really beautiful. I love the ones with wooden interiors.

Mum and Shailea sat in a very lady-like fashion on this tram!

Coen had a climb on the scrubber tram.


And the old tram.

This is what happens when you ask Coen to look at the camera and smile!


They have the old electricity poles. I think they're really pretty!

In the museum shed there are lots of old cable cars and some buses. Coen loved driving this bus. I think it may have been because his feet reached the floor.

The kids had lots of fun running around and climing on all the displays.

I had lots of fun reading all the little signs on the trams.

His conversation skills mustn't be up to scratch.

I don't know what this one was selling. All the others on this tram were ads.

This was written on the ceiling, so you have to look straight up to read it. I suppose there wasn't anywhere else to put a sign. I never found out what (who?) the 'Dummy' was.

Jen

A Park at the end of Our Street & Coen is a Pizza Chef

We live in a very short street. And at the end of our street there is a park! It's got all the usual playground equipment and is all under a huge shade structure. Coen loves it.

We wandered down there on Thursday.

Coen picked me some beautiful dandylions.

And literally ran circles aroud me!

When we got home we Coen made pizza for dinner. Now Coen is very experienced in the art of pizza making.

He can list the ingredients for the dough, and sifts, mixes and kneads with great enthusiasm!

And gets flour on his nose, too cute!

He has a pretty specific list of toppings he likes on his pizza too. Ham, salami, mushrooms olives and cheese. He asked to put soms sushi on too, but I'm pretty sure he was joking.

The end result! He gets to eat his own pizza, while Darron and I have to share the big one that I made.

Jen

A Handmade Christmas

In an effort to save money and the planet and all that stuff, I made a few Christmas presents last year. They were mostly for some of the little girlies in the family. And made form materials I already have. Mostly. Here's my reasoning: I need to buy fabric and yarn and crafty goodies and supplies throughout the year so when the time comes to make gifts (or anything really) I can use materials I already have, craft from the stash, and feel really good about not going out and buying stuff. Makes sense to me!

I think I'll have to start working now to have all the things made for next Christmas!

I made a couple of these shrugs, they're so sweet and quick to knit up! Pattern was a freebie too, love Ravelry.



Shrink plastic rocks! My friend Steph un the US sent me some last year and I'm in love! Great for making stuff for the older kids too. This is Sarah's keyring.


Little bags and pouches are quick to stitch up, useful, and a great way to use up leftover fabrics from other projects, so no waste!


I also love iron on transfer paper! Print anything you like onto it and iron it on. I was really happy with how this pencil case turned out!

This little top was fun too! Another free pattern, this one from burdastyle.com.

This one took the longest to make, only because I kept starting other projects while I was working on it. Yet another free pattern, from knitty.com.

There were a few other things too like Alyshia's apron and pot holder for dress ups, and Mariette's blue shrug, but I forgot to take photos of them before they got wrapped up.

I think the best thing about doing handmade gifts is that I get to spend time doing things I love, that and trying new things, that's always good too!

I will definately have to get started soon for next Christmas, right after I finish making Dayle's birthday present, and Sam & Bella's birthday presents, and myshrug, and my skirt for work. Thank god I already finished making Mum's birthday present!

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I think Coen is working on some kind of comedy act. He was chatting to me as I was posting about his box escapade.

"Look at me! I'm in this box now!"

If the boxes keep getting smaller I don't think he's going to fit.

Jen

Look at me I'm in a Box!

As I was writing up our Christmas blog yesterday I had a very entertaining interruption. I was uploading and typing away when I heard a call from the other end of the house.

"Mum!??"

"Yes!" I shouted back because shouting from one end of the house to the other is a classy way to hold a conversation with your child.

"Look at me! I'm in a box!!"

So i grabbed the camera and went to investigate. Sure enough, there he was, in a box. And quite proud of himself!

Never one to pass up a chance to pose for a photo! I took the hint and finished the blog later! Poor attention starved darling!

Spider Boy!

Jen

Christmas Holiday!

After Christmas, we headed to The Shack at Paradise Beach. Mum and Ed were already there with Skye. The mosquitoes were there too, in plague proportions! Even with repellent on, they would hover around you looking for an opening! By you I really mean me, as it seemed that I was the flavour of the week! Luckily they weren't inside, so I was safe there. They also left us alone on the beach. The boys had a wonderful time playing in the shallows, under Skye's vigilant supervision. She kept a very close eye on Coen, and when she couldn't herd him away from the water she would bark at the waves that came near him, very cute!

Coen was particularly impressed when the rosellas came to eat the birdseed that he had put in the feeders!

He did some serious reading of a tractor catalogue with Nan!

After the mozzies had annoyed us all to the brink of insanity Mum and Ed headed home on Sunday, and we headed back to Rosedale. (There was some golf and shopping in Traralgon on the way) So we got to spend some more time with Wendy and Len and tracy and Dayle which was lovely.

Coen had a play in the boat,

with Dad,

and had a wonderful time.

We came home on Tuesday and immediately sent Coen out to mow the lawn.

That's the end of our Christmas holiday. It wasn't nearly long enough, but gave us time to catch up with our families which is always special!

Jen

Christmas Part II

Next instalment of Christmas! Happy New Year by the way!

Santa found us in Rosedale and spoiled Coen with a bag full of Thomas trains and tracks! Boring clothes from mum and dad but the Thomas hat was a hit.

After unwrapping all his own presents, Coen helped us unwrap ours!


Then the new trains got a work out!

And Nanna's new fish needed to be fed. Coen liked the fish very much and on a subsequent feeding managed to get hold of one by the head and lift it out of the water! The boy has lightening quick reflexes! (The fish survived too, although he probably had a bit of a head ache!)

Tracy and Dayle arrived, and Coen exchanged kisses for a present. That flash in the background is Darron moving at great speed!

The celebrations were soon underway. There were kids everywhere!

Then "Santa" turned up, frightening some of the smaller children into hysterics!

Coen was very brave, having conquered his fear of Santa with desensitisation from the million christmas parties this year and the reasoning that sitting on Santa's knee usually results in a reward of some kind! Not long after this Santa left, to the relief of the frightened, and Dayle and Chloe finished off the gift giving!

It was wonderful seeing all the kids playing together and getting excited over each other's presents! Alyshia and Bella are too cute!

Coen got so tuckered out by everything that he even had a big sleep in the afternoon! Which meant that the poor kid missed out on the fun of dipping GIANT strawberries in chocolate and getting covered in the results!

It was all a bit much for Lara!

Credit for all the above photos goes to Wendy's camera and whoever was behind it at the time!

Jen